knock the socks off

knock the socks off (someone or something)

1. To thoroughly impress, overwhelm, or excite one. The show of support from everyone just blew my socks off.That movie really knocked my socks off—I didn't expect it to be so good!

2. To completely outclass, outdo, or outperform someone or something; to soundly defeat or best someone or something. Wow, this coffee knocks the socks off the stuff we get back home.Catherine knocked the socks off the other kids in the spelling bee.

knock the socks off

Also knock someone's socks off.

1. Overwhelm, bedazzle, or amaze someone, as in The young pianist knocked the socks off of the judges, or That display will knock their socks off. [Slang; mid-1800s]

2. Also, knock the spots off. Surpass or outdo completely, defeat. For example, These large chains have been knocking the socks off the small independent grocers, or Our team knocked the spots off them. The spots most likely allude to target practice with playing cards where the object is to shoot through all the pips, spots, or marks indicating the suit or numerical value of a playing card, but one authority holds that they were used in a horse-breeding context and meant "to be in the vanguard." [Mid-1800s]

But then I was never charging anyone more than PS100 to read my GCSE science paper or watch me slide about on a muddy field of a Sunday morning, so I expected slightly more than a "good try" from a restaurant whose surroundings can knock the spots off most of what Cardiff has to offer.

In fact she is so confident in its ability to knock the spots off other style-leading cities that she has organised Teesside's first commercial showcase, the Designers Marketplace in Middlesbrough town centre.

The result is certain to knock the spots off Bet Lynch's leopardskin coat, but the big question is will any of tonight's soap stars to tempted to jack in the day job and follow Kylie into pop superstardom?

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